How to Set up Your Camera for Night Time Street Photography

Heading out into the night with your camera can be an adventure, especially in a city full of people and bright lights. In this short video, street photographer Robin Schimko gives you quick run through of how to pick the best settings for your camera when photographing in low light, including some particularly good tips if you’re shooting film.

Focusing during daylight is a much easier task when shooting street photography as smaller apertures mean a greater depth of field and a much bigger chance fo keeping everything sharp. At night, Schimko suggests shooting with a fast lens wide open and has some advice on how to achieve images that are sharp.

Schimko’s advice is particularly useful for those shooting film with enough here to inspire you to head out with that old analog camera that’s been sitting on a shelf for too long. If this inspires you to dig out some C41 film, you might want to check out this tutorial from Matt Day who talks you through his scanning process using his digital process and an excellent piece of software called Negative Lab Pro.

What are your best tips for street photography at night and in low-light conditions?

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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